Passiflora

Passionflowers of the World

Drawings by Bettina Ulmer

Since they were first described in Europe in the 16th century, passionflowers have held a special fascination among plant collectors for their bold, beautiful, complicated blossoms and delectable passionfruits. Most are perennial climbers, but some are trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants, or even annuals, and all lend a dramatic, tropical flavor to any situation. Since they have such a broad range of cultivation requirements, passionflowers can be grown by just about anyone, and cold-hardy species can be grown outdoors year-round. This authoritative, comprehensive volume describes 207 Passiflora species and 31 hybrids. A chapter is devoted to the remarkable coevolution of passionflowers with Heliconius butterflies, which many passionflower enthusiasts now raise alongside flowering vines in the greenhouse. As lushly illustrated as it is informative, Passiflora: Passionflowers of the World reveals the immense variation found among members of this extraordinary genus.

Media reviews of this book:

"The outstanding images of the species are organized according to the most up-to-date phylogenetic hypothesis for Passifloraceae classification."

—L. C. Ewart, Choice, February 2005

"[This book] is a great resource if you, like me, just have to find out."

—Vern Nelson, Oregonian, February 24, 2005

"This huge compilation of the world's passionflowers includes a vast bank of knowledge on cultivating and growing — as well as identifying — these charming perennials. Lavishly illustrated with line drawings and color photographs, one look at Passiflora is sure to captivate you, too."

—Lynette Walther, Palatka Daily News, November 4, 2006

"This book will certainly convince you to experiment!"

—Jim Kemper, Current Books on Gardening & Botany, August 2005

"The authors...have created a worthy and unique work that will be welcomed by botanists and gardeners alike."

—January Adams, American Reference Books Annual, 2005

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Customer reviews of this book:

"I was fascinated by the topic so I now own two specimens. Thank you."

—April B. from West Palm Beach, Florida, March 7, 2006

"Very enjoyable book with great photographs."

—Tom H. from Mobile, Alabama, March 28, 2005

An excerpt from this book:

Passionflowers can be propagated either genetically or vegetatively with few problems. In most cases they are grown from seeds or cuttings. They can also be propagated vegetatively by layering, root cuttings, air layering, or grafting, but because these procedures are quite intricate, they are recommended only for those species whose cuttings root with difficulty. Young plants can be produced from store-bought seeds or from the seeds of fruit harvested from the garden. The seeds of most species need a soil temperature of at least 25°C in combination with a correspondingly high atmospheric or soil humidity ...

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